PHOTO (COLOR): POWER GRIDS: Turbine and control-room failures could lead to outages and blackoutsPHOTO (COLOR): BANKING: 'It's a problem that could bring an institution to its knees,' says David Iacino, who heads a year 2000 task force at BankBoston.

Marty Ryan, silver-haired control-room warhorse who serves as the network's executive producer of political programming, stood calmly in the heart of the madness, answering questions, giving orders and deciphering the banks of monitors in front of him.